Darkest Wolf(29)

“Can I help you?”

The smoke-altered voice of the man behind the desk caught her attention. She looked over at him, not surprised to see the exterior of the man matched the sound of his words.

Dark liver spots marred his skin.

She swallowed, steeling herself for his reaction to her. Why was this bothering her so much? She’d been shrieked at before. “Hello.” She stepped forward, making her feet move beneath her. “I need a room, please.” Maybe she should get two. The way she reacted to Rex in the car did not inspire confidence in her ability to withstand whatever wolfish charms he sent out to her.

“What is wrong with your face?” The man rose to his feet as he spoke, his hands coming down in front of him as if to block her from getting any closer to him. As if the way she appeared might reach out and assault him from afar.

“That is not a very polite thing to say.” She could feel her cheeks burning with embarrassment. Why was she bothering to respond at all? Still, she couldn’t seem to stop her mouth from letting her words out. “Is that how you were raised? To say rude things to women?”

“Look, lady.” He stood up. “I don’t want any trouble. I’ve lived in the world a long time now and I’ve never seen anything like you before.”

“Anything like me?” She fisted her hands at her side. “Listen, sir. I want a room not a lot of hassle. Think you can handle it?”

He cleared his throat before he reached down to pick up a key. Without another word, he slammed it down in front of him. “Please take it. I can’t look at you anymore.” Liz said a silent prayer to the goddess for patience. Maybe she would listen this time.

She picked up the key, letting her hand slide slowly over the counter as she grasped it in her fingers. What had she been thinking? Laughing, she realized she wanted to blame Rex. It was his fault. He’d spent the last day looking her in the eyes and making her feel almost normal again.

She liked it so much she had decided to insist on the behavior from others. Big mistake and one she wouldn’t let herself make again. She swallowed away the sinking sensation telling her life would never be any better than just getting by.

Turning away from the counter, she stared down at the key in her hand. The man hadn’t told her what room they were in. Wishing she was the type of person who kicked or shouted, she turned back around before leaning over the table. “Excuse me,” she called out into the hallway in which the man had retreated. “Which room is this?”

“Twenty-two,” the voice called back before hacking for a moment. “Where the hell is my lighter?”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, prepared to leave the lobby this time. He hadn’t taken her credit information or discussed payment at all, which gave her a great deal of relief since she had no idea how they’d do that. Perhaps he would prefer not to receive any money for her stay in the establishment. She grinned at the thought as the cell phone the man had left on the counter caught her attention.

She scratched her head. One way or another she had to reach the twins’ mother to make a deal about trading Rex’s information for her family’s release and the return of her natural looks. Not to mention her powers. She really needed them back.

Maybe she could “borrow” the phone in the way Rex “borrowed” things.

Goddess, I’ve been with Rex just one day and I’m already considering thievery as a viable option.

Looking left and right, she didn’t let her internal musings sway her. She needed the phone and, unlike Rex, she would return it when she was done with it. Maybe.

She grinned at her naughty thought before she picked up the phone and rushed from the room. In the distance, she could see the dark car exactly as she’d left it. Rex, still presumably out cold, tucked inside of it, oblivious to what she was about to do.

Moving from the lobby door, she walked to the side of the building. She could keep her eye on Rex in the car without being entirely out of the light from the motel. For some reason she didn’t wish to explore, she knew she couldn’t make this phone call standing any closer to Rex than she already was.

She dialed the number. Liz hadn’t called it years—she’d been forbidden to—but she still knew it by heart. Would always know it. The phone rang once before a tired voice answered.

“Hello?” Her mother sounded exactly the same way she’d sounded when Elizabeth had awoken her for one reason or another when she’d been a child. Disoriented but strong.

“Mom.” She said the name like a sigh, ignoring the tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

“Elizabeth.” Her mother’s voice shook. “How can you be doing this? Won’t they catch you calling me? They’ll hurt you.”